Florida man gets 10-year sentence for oxycodone trafficking in Maine

PORTLAND, Maine — A Florida man was sentenced to 10 years in prison Friday for an oxycodone trafficking conspiracy in Maine, according to Assistant U.S. Attorney Michael Conley.

U.S. District Judge Nancy Torresen imposed the sentence on Steven Jimenez, 30, of Melbourne, Fla., at a hearing in federal court in Portland. Jimenez pleaded guilty in May to conspiring to distribute and possession with intent to distribute oxycodone in the Camden and Rockland areas.

“The guideline range was from 151 to 188 months’ imprisonment and we got 120,” said Conley. “We think that’s an appropriate sentence, given his criminal history, the amount of pills involved, and the scope of the offense.”

According to evidence submitted by the prosecution, Jimenez mailed about 36 packages containing oxycodone from Florida to a co-conspirator — Niraja Beram, 60, of Warren — in Rockland over a 10-month period from May 2011 to February 2012.

Beram would then further distribute the pills in Maine. The total number of pills Jimenez mailed from Florida exceeded 3,000. One intercepted package contained 257 30-milligram oxycodone pills.

“It’s absolutely unique and something I haven’t come across before because in this case the informant was actually working both sides,” Conley explained. “He was providing information to law enforcement officials while also sending pills to Maine behind their backs.”

According to court documents filed by Conley and Delahanty, Jimenez sent Beram oxycodone pills in February without the knowledge of any law enforcement officials to set up Beram.

Conley said he expects Beram, who cooperated with law enforcement after being arrested in January, to be sentenced later this month. Conley said after Beram’s arrest that agents learned about Jimenez’ double dealing.

“They found Jimenez on her phone list and from that were able to deduce that he was attempting to set her up,” Conley said.

U.S. Attorney Thomas Delahanty II and Conley said the successful prosecution of this case was based on the cooperative investigative efforts of the U.S. Drug Enforcement Administration, the U.S. Postal Inspection Service, and the Palm Bay, Fla., Police Department.